Upright, sectional, tubular support standard



J. F. GRAY Nov. 12, 1968 UPRIGHT, SECTIONAL, TUBULAR SUPPORT STANDARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1965 JAMES F.' GRAY INV ENTOR.

HIS AGENT J. F. GRAY 3,410,995 UPRIGHT, SECTIONAL, TUBULAR SUPPORT STANDARD Nov. 12, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet :7

Filed Feb. 24, 1965 JMS F. GRA

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I N VENTOR United States Patent 3,410,995 UPRIGHT, SECTIONAL, TUBULAR SUPPORT STANDARD James F. Gray, 3717 Cedar Elm, Wichita Falls, Tex. 76308 Filed Feb. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 434,804 15 Claims. (Cl. 240-84) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An upright standard of tubular construction, which may be assembled to present substantially the rigidity of a standard of unitary construction, and may be disassembled and the tubular members of smaller size may be completely telescoped into the larger tubular member and base for shipping and storage. When assembled intoan upright standard, the tubular joints are sealed to present a weather tight construction, which enables electrical wires to be run therethrough, when it is desired to install lighting fixtures street lights or the like, near the upper end of the standard. Provision is made to detachably connect an outstanding, tubular arm intermediate the length of the standard, which arm is in conduit communication with the interior of the upright, tubular standard, to enable wires to pass therethrough in protected relation to a light fixture mounted thereon near the end thereof. Further provision is made to have the arm arcuately rotatable to enable the arm to be moved out of the way of tall objects being moved thereby. Still further provision is made to enable the arm to paravane in event wind pressure exceeds safe limits, which the arm is constructed to withstand.

This invention relates to improvements in lamp posts and more particularly to lamp posts which may be constructed in sectional components and, for the most part, shipped or transported on trucks or stored in telescoped relation as to benefit from lower freight rates due to the compactness of the telescoped unit ready for shipment or which require less room for storage.

Various sectional lamp posts have been proposed heretofore, but these, for the most part were not designed to serve a multiplicity of purposes, which may be telescoped for storage or shipment, but erected for use.

The present lamp post is so constructed that it may be assembled of the desired number of sections and erected to obtain the desired height lamp post, and by the utilization of assembly of components, a variety of lamp post adaptations and modifications is possible.

The present lamp post is so constructed as to form a conduit therethrough, thereby obviating the necessity for exposed wiring or the use'of an additional electrical conduit in which to install the electrical wiring.

Provision is made in the present device to enable multiple uses of the lamp post, as for street lighting or for the supporting of signal lights over the traffic lanes.

Further provisions are made to seal the lamp posts against intrusion of moisture, which would be injurious to the metal of which it is constructed and to the electrical wiring therein.

The present lamp post is also so designed to prevent one section thereof against turning with respect to the other sections thereof.

The lamp post is also constructed with an outstanding arm therein, which arm may be held in fixed relation against turning under normal conditions; however upon exertion of excessive wind pressure on the oustanding arm, the bolts thereof will be sheared, which will permit ice the arm to swing in aligned relation with the direction in which the wind is blowing.

Still another provision of the present device is to provide a lamp post which has an arm to support a light fixture, which arm may be readily arranged so as to rotate through an are, thereby to permit tall structures to pass thereby without the necessity of dismantling the light post, and which arm may be readily swung back into place and secured by bolts in a minimum of time.

An object of this invention is to provide an upright telescoping pole member which may readily assembled and disassembled, and for the most part, the sections may be telescoped together in the minimum of space for shipping, or for storage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional lamp post or the like, which may be readily erected and the sections thereof fixed against relative rotation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lamp post having an outstanding arm thereon, which arm will yield at a predetermined wind pressure to obviate damage, but which may be readily and quickly returned to the original position in a minimum of time.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lamp post having an outstanding arm thereon which may be readily rendered rotatable through a predetermined are when it is desired to move the arm out of the path of a structure or the like so that such structure may be moved thereby.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lamp post which may be readily secured together in a minimum of time and which will be supported in upright position against windstorms and the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lamp post forming a closed conduit to enable Wiring to be carried therethrough and to the respective lights without the wiring being exterior of the lamp post.

While the present invention, for purposes of illustration and description, has been referred to as a lamp post, it is to be understood that the same construction may be used for street signs or installed for other uses to which it is adapted.

With these objects in mind and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the lamp post with parts broken away and shortened and with parts being shown in section, showing a lighting fixture and a signal light, in dashed outline, as installed thereon;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the: arrows;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of a joint within the length of the lamp post, with parts being broken away andshown in section to bring out the details of construction;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective View of a support member, shown apart from the lamp post;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective, fragmentary view of a portion of the lower end of one of the tubular members;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view, on a reduced scale,

showing the signal light support arm removed therefrom and showing parts broken away and shortened; and

FIG. l2 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the main body portions of the lamp post telescoped together for shipping, storage or the like, and showing portions thereof in elevation.

With more detailed reference to the drawings the numeral 1 designates generally the lower section or base on which a tubular member 2 is welded and braced by gusset plates 4. The tubular member 2 is securely welded to the upper end of the base 1 which base is shaped like a pyramid or cone, which tubular member is in communication with the hollow portion of base 1 so that underground wiring, which comes into the base 1, may pass upward therethrough and through the tubular member 2. The tubular member 2 has a series of elongated support members 6 at spaced intervals therearound, as will best be seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, which support members each have an elongated shank 8 which has a face 9 thereon which is parallel to the back thereof for a distance sufficient to support the next tubular member therein against material lateral movement.

The lower end of each of the support members 6 has an angular face 10 thereon and when these support members 6 are circumferentially spaced within the tubular member 2, and welded in place, the tubular member 2 is then preferably placed in lathe or boring mill, and the inner faces 9 of shanks 8 are cut to a tolerance size, which is slightly larger than the next succeeding joint of the tubular member 12 to be telescoped thereinto. The tubular member 12 has complementarily, circumferentially milled slots 14 in the lower end, which slots are of a width and depth to seat on the angular face 10 of support m mber 6 and each of the slots 14 has an angular face 16 to fit in complementary relation with angular face 10 on sup port member 6.

The upper end of tubular member 2 has a bushing 18 fitted thereinto in telescoped relation, as will best be seen in FIG. 8, with a portion thereof being adapted to slide thereinto in close fitting relation into the inner diameter thereof. The outer diameter of the bushing 18, above the upper end of the pipe being of the size complementary to the outer diameter of the pipe, which bushing may extend upward and be rounded inward, and be bored by a lathe or boring mill at the same time the inner faces 9 of support member 6 are bored, and with the boring thus performed, as well as the facing of the angular face 10 on support member 6, uniformity of seating of tubular member 12 in slots 14 and on angular faces 16 is assured. It is preferable to have a plurality of set screws 20 screwthreaded through the upper portion of bushing 18, so as to engage tubular member 12 to prevent relative longitudinal movement therebetween. The bushing 18 is welded to tubular member 2 as indicated at 22. The bushing 18 has an O-ring groove 24 therein within the bore thereof in which an O-ring 26 is positioned to form a fluid tight seal between bushing 18 and tubular member 12.

Each of the lamp post sections has a bushing, similar to the bushing 18, secured to the upper end thereof, to join the sections together, as described for the bushing 18 on tubular member 2. Each of the succeeding bushings 18 are of the same construction as the first mentioned bushing and the joints between the tubular members 12 in which the bushing 18 is positioned, and the ends of the tubular members 12 telescoped thereinto are of the same construction.

At the desired height on tubular member 28, which is similar in construction on the lower end to tubular member 12, circumferentially spaced keys 30 are secured thereto, as by welding. A key slotted flange 32 is fitted on keys 30 so that the upper face of the flange will be level or above the upper end of keys 30, whereupon set screws 34 screwthreaded into flange 32 are tightened in secure relation to prevent movement of the flange 32 relative thereto. The flange 32 preferably has a series of holes 36 arranged a spaced distance from the axis thereof to receive bolts 38 therethrough. It is preferable to have these bolts of a predetermined shear strength, as by cutting a groove 40 therein at the point of shear between flange 32 and a flange 42, as will best be seen in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 3, four bolts are provided to bolt flanges 32 and 42 together. However, it is preferable to have a multiplicity of holes 36 within flange 32 so the desired angularity of arm 44, with respect to base 1, may be had. While only one arm 44 has been shown and described, it is to be understood that two or more arms may be fitted onto the lamp post and either arranged in opposed relation or in any desired angulated relation.

The arm 44 is composed of an upper tubular member 46 and a lower tubular member 48 which members diverge upwardly and outwardly, with upright spacing elements 50 and 52 welded therebetween to give the proper reinforcement to enable the arm 44 to span a substantial distance. The lower end of tubular member 48 is secured to a sleeve 54, as by welding, which sleeve 54 is secured to the upper face of flange 42 as by welding, with the sleeve 54 and the flange 42 being fitted in rotatable relation around tubular member 28. A sleeve 56 has an apertured plate 58 secured to the upper end thereof, as by welding or the like, which sleeve 56 is fitted over the upper end of tubular member 28 in telescoped relation and is secured to spacing element 50 to support the plate 56 on the sleeve spaced thereabove. The tubular member 46, which serves as an outstanding arm, is secured to the sleeve 56 as by welding in such manner that a hole 60 in sleeve 56 is in register with the hole in tubular member 46 to enable wiring to be passed upward through tubular members 2, 12, 28, whereupon a removable door 62 can be removed and the wire can be directed through hole 60 into tubular member 46 and downward through a slot 64 in the lower side thereof and through the conventional conduit 66 into a signal light 68 or the like. The signal light 68, or other light has the usual weather-proof tubular cup 70 thereon, which covers the wire passing downward through slot 64.

It is to be pointed out that the upper end 57 of tubular member 56 is a spaced distance above the lower end of sleeve 56 to form a weather tight joint between tubular member 28 and sleeve 56. With the sleeve being supported thereabove by the upright spacing element 50, which is welded to the sleeve 56 and to the outstanding tubular member 46, enables wiring to be passed upward thereabove and through :hole 60, in sleeve 56, so that the arm may be rotated 360 degrees or more, without the wire becoming entangled or sheared. The door 62 provides access to the wiring so the wire may be directed upward through opening 72 into tubular member 74, which is secured to the upper face of plate 58, as by bolts 75 passing downward through apertured flange 76 and screwthreaded into plate 58. The upstanding tubular member 74 has a hole 78 therein, which hole is in register with a second outstanding tubular member 80 to form an arm on which a light fixture 82 is supported in a manner similar to signal light 68. An ornamental ball 84 may be provided on the upper end of tubular member 74, which ball has a pin 86 thereon to close and seal the upper end of tubular member 74 after the wires have been directed from tubular member 74 into hole 78 and into tubular member 80 to supply light fixture 82 with electricity. A gusset plate 88 is provided between upstanding tubular member 74 and outstanding tubular member 80 and is welded thereto to support the outstanding tubular member 80 to form an arm to support a light fixture 82.

The light post as shown in FIG. 11 is substantially identical in structure with the light post as shown in FIG. 1, except the flanges 32, 42, and arm 44 have been deleted. A tubular member 28 has a screwthreaded, apertured plate 58a secured on the upper end, to which a plate 76 is secured by bolts 75 on which plate 76 is mounted on outstanding arm 80. Otherwise this form of the invention is substantially the same as the above mentioned form of the invention.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a joint for connecting two upright tubular members of different size in substantially axially aligned relation;

(a) a first tubular member,

(b) an annular bushing, having a bore formed therein,

(1) said annular bushing having an end thereof, of

reduced diameter and fitted into said first tubular member,

(2) the upper end of said annular bushing being larger in diameter than said reduced end portion thereof and adapted to seat on the upper end of said first tubular member and being fixedly secured thereto,

(c) a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, elongated support members fixedly secured to the inner diameter of said first tubular member immediately below said annular bushing,

(1) said elongated support members each having an elongated inner face thereon substantially in aligned relation with the inner bore of said annular bushing.

(2) each said elongated support member having an inwardly and downwardly angulated face thereon near the lower end thereof,

((1) a second tubular member having a plurality of slots formed in the lower end thereof, which slots are circumlferentially spaced therearound in complementary relation to said circumferentially spaced apart, elongated support members, and

(1) said circumferentially spaced slots in said second tubular member each having an angulated face thereon, which is complementary to said angulated face on said support members and being of a size to complementally receive said respective support members thereinto when said second tubular member is telescoped into said annular bushing and onto said angulated faces of said support members.

2. In an upright tubular support standard;

(a) a base,

(b) a first tubular member fixedly secured to said base and extending upwardly therefrom,

(c) an annular bushing,

(1) said annular bushing being fitted into the upper end of said first tubular member in telescoped relation,

((1) a plurality of ci-rcumferentially spaced apart, elongated support members fixedly secured to the inner diameter of said first tubular member, immediately below said annular bushing,

(1) said elongated support members each having an elongated inner face thereon in aligned relation with the inner bore of said annular bushing,

(2) said elongated support members each having an inwardly and downwardly angulated face formed thereon near the lower end thereof,

(3) the upper end of said annular bushing being substantially the same diameter :as the outer diameter of said first tubular member,

(4) said annular bushing having a screwthreaded hole extending radially into the upper end portion thereof,

(5) a screwthreaded member threadably engaging said screwthreaded hole and adapted to extend thereinto,

(e) a secondtubular member having a plurality of slots formed on the lower end thereof, which slots are circumferentially spaced therearound in complemental relation to said circumferentially spaced elongated support members, and

(1) each said complemental slot in said second tubular member having an angulated face formed thereon, which is complementary to an angulated face of each said support member and being of a size to complementally receive said respective support members thereinto when said second tubular member is telescoped into said annular bushing and onto said angulated faces of said support members.

3. An upright tubular support standard comprising;

(a) a base,

(b) a first tubular member secured to said base and extending upward therefrom,

(c) an annular bushing,

(1) said annular bushing being fitted into the upper end of said first tubular member in telescoped relation,

(d) a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, elongated support members fixedly secured to the inner diameter of said first tubular member, immediately below said annular bushing,

(1) said elongated support members each having an elongated inner face thereon which face is in aligned relation with the inner bore of said annular bushing,

(2) said elongated support members each having an inwardly and downwardly angulated face formed thereon near the lower end thereof,

(e) a second tubular member,

( 1) said annular bushing adapted to receive an end of said second tubular member therein, and

(2) said second tubular member having notches formed in the lower end thereof to complementally receive said support members therein in centered relation to support said second tuubular member against relative rotation with respect to said first tubular member.

4. An upright tubular support standard as defined in claim 3, wherein;

(a) said annular bushing has an annular groove formed therein, which groove is in communication with the bore thereof, and

( 1) an O-ring fitted within said annular groove to form sealing relation with said second tubular member when said second tubular member is fitted into said annular bushing.

5. An upright, tubular, support standard as defined in claim 3; wherein (a) a key is weldably secured to one of said upright, tubular members to receive said first mentioned flanged in keyed relation thereon, and

(b) set screw means to retain said flanges in fixed relation against longitudinal movement with respect to said upright, tubular member.

6. An upright tubular lamp support post comprising;

(a) a base,

(b) a first tubular member secured to said base and extending upward therefrom,

(c) an annular bushing fixedly secured in the upper end of said first tubular member in telescoped relation,

(d) a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongated support members secured to said first tubular member, within the inner diameter thereof, immediately below said annular bushing,

(1) said elongated support members each having an elongated face formed thereon in aligned relation with the inner bore of said annular bush- (2) said elongated support members each having an inwardly and downwardly angulated face fonned thereon near the lower end thereof.

(e) a second tubular member,

( 1) said second tubular member having a plurality of slots formed in the lower end thereof,

(2) each said slot having an angulated face therein at the innermost end thereof to complemeutally fit the respective angulated faces on said elongated support members to form a self-centering joint between said second tubular member and said first tubular member,

(f) at least one other such joint within the length of said upright tubular lamp support post,

(g) a first flange, having circumferentially spaced apertures formed therein, attachably connected to one of said tubular members and being fixedly secured thereto against relative rotation,

(h) a second flange fitted in mating relation with respect to said first flange,

(1) said second flange having circumfereptially spaced apertures formed therein which are complementary with respect to the apertures in the first flange,

(i) elements of a predetermined shear strength attachably fitted within said apertures and being in shearing relation between said flanges upon relative rtation therebetween, and

(j) an outwardly extending first tubular arm secured to said second flange and being adapted to receive a light fixture thereon.

7. An upright, tubular, lamp support post as defined in claim 6, wherein;

(a) a sleeve is weldably secured to said second flange,

(1) which sleeve extends upwardly a spaced distance on one of said tubular members,

(2) said arm being weldably secured to said sleeve,

(b) a second sleeve, having a closed upper end, surrounding the end of the uppermost tubular member and extending thereabove.

( 1) a second tubular arm extending outward from said second sleeve,

(2) a support member extending between said first tubular arm and said second tubular arm and being secured in fixed relation with respect to said sleeves,

(3) said second sleeve having an opening formed therein which opening is in communication with said second tubular arm above the end of said uppermost tubular member to enable an electrical conduit to be passed upward through said tubular member, said sleeves, and through the opening in said second sleeve,

(c) means supporting a light fixture on said second tubular arm a spaced distance outward from said upright tubular members, said second tubular arm, having a light fixture thereon, being adapted to rotate through a 360 degree are about the axis of said tubular, lamp support post.

8. An upright, tubular lamp support post, as defined in claim 7; wherein (a) said upright, tubular, lamp support post has a plurality of lamp fixture receiving arms thereon, and

(b) means to provide for varying the relative radial position of said arm about the upright axle of said upright, tubular, lamp support post.

9. An upright tubular lamp support post comprising;

(a) a base,

(b) a tubular member secured to said base and extending upward therefrom,

(1) said tubular member having an open top,

(2) a first flange fitted on and secured to said tubular member intermediate the length thereof,

(3) said first flange having a plurality of spaced apart, longitudinally aligned apertures formed therein,

(4) a second flange complementally mounted on said first flange and having apertures formed therein, at least some of which apertures are complementary to the apertures in said first flange,

(c) a sleeve telescoped over the upper end of said tubular member,

(d) a support member secured to said second flange and to said sleeve telescoped over said tubular member to hold said sleeve a spaced distance above said upright tubular member,

(e) a tubular arm secured to and extending outward from said sleeve,

(1) said sleeve having a hole formed therein which hole is in communication with said tubular arm,

(2) said tubular arm adapted to receive a light fixture on the outer end thereof,

(f) fastening means adapted to pass through certain of said apertures in said flanges to normally hold said tubular arms in fixed relation with respect to said upright, tubular lamp support post, and

(1) said fastening means being removable to enable said companion flange, said sleeve, and said tubular arm to be moved through an are about the axis of said upright, tubular lamp support post.

10. An upright tubular, lamp support post as defined in claim 9; wherein (a) said fastening means are of a predetermined shear strength to enable the shearing thereof between said flanges so said arm will rotate about the axis of said tubular member upon a predetermined torque being exerted on the arm, which exceeds the shear strength of said fastening means.

11. An upright, tubular, lamp support post as defined in claim 9; wherein (a) said sleeve has an opening formed therein, which opening is in close proximity to the hole in said sleeve, and

(b) a cover plate is attachably secured to said sleeve to close said opening in said sleeve in substantially weather tight relation.

12. An upright, tubular, lamp support post as defined in claim 10; wherein (a) the holes in said flanges are spaced apart circumferentially to provide for a multiplicity of positions for said outstanding tubular arm.

13. Tubular members which make an upright tubular standard, when in one position, comprising (a) a hollow base,

(b) a first tubular member fixedly secured to said base and extending upwardly therefrom,

(c) an annular bushing,

( 1) the lower portion of said annular bushing being fitted into the upper end of said first tubular member in telescoped relation,

(2) the upper end of said annular bushing being enlarged and adapted to seat on the upper end of said first tubular member,

(d) a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, elongated support members fixedly secured to the inner diameter of said first tubular member, immediately below said annular bushing,

( 1) each said elongated support member having an elongated inner face thereon, which face is substantially in aligned relation with the inner bore of said annular bushing,

(2) each said elongated support member having an inwardly extending projection thereon, near the lower end thereof,

(e) a second tubular member, of a size to fit within the bore of said annular bushing, fitted between said elongated support members in guided relation, when in one position,

(1) the lower end of said second tubular member being adapted to seat on said inwardly extend- '9 ing projections on said elongated support members in said first tubular member to support said second tubular member therein in guided relation, when in one position, and

(f) fastening means associated with said annular bushing and with said second tubular member to secure said tubular members in extended relation, when in one position.

14. Tubular members to make an upright tubular standard, as defined in claim 13; wherein (a) a second annular bushing is provided,

(1) the lower portion of said second annular bushing being fitted into the upper end of said second tubular member in telescoped relation,

(2) the upper end of said second annular bushing being enlarged and adapted to seat on the upper end of said second tubular member,

(b) a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, elongated support members fixedly secured to said second tubular member on the inside thereof, immediately below said second annular bushing,

(1) said elongated support members in said second tubular member each having an elongated inner face thereon, which is substantially in aligned relation with the inner bore of said second annular bushing,

(2) said elongated support members in said second tubular member each having an inwardly extending projection thereon, near the lower end thereof,

(c) a third tubular member of a size to fit within the bore of said second annular bushing and to fit between said elongated support members in said second tubular member in guided relation, when in one position,

(1) the lower end of said third tubular member being adapted to seat on said inwardly extending projections on said elongated support members in said second tubular member, to support said third tubular member therein in guided relation, when in one position,

(d) fastening means associated with said second annular bushing and with said third tubular member to secure said second and third tubular members together in extended relation, when in one position,

(e) said second tubular member being of a length to be received within the length of said first tubular member and said base, when in telescoped relation between the lower side of said inwardly extending projections on said elongated support members in said first tubular member and the lower end of said base, when in another position, and

(f) said third tubular member being of a length to be received within said second tubular member and said base, when in telescoped relation between the lower side of said inwardly extending projections on said elongated support members in said second tubular member and the lower end of said base, when in said another position.

15. Upright tubular members, as defined in claim 14;

wherein (a) the uppermost of said tubular members has a flange detachably secured within the length thereof, which flange is coaxial therewith,

(b) complementary flange surrounding said uppermost tubular member and being seated in abutting relation with said first mentioned flange for selective rotation about the axis of said uppermost tubular member,

(c) fastening means selectively securing said flanges together,

((1) an upwardly extending tubular member secured to said uppermost flange and being axially rotatable therewith, and

(e) an outwardly extending arm secured to said upwardly extending tubular member on said uppermost flange, which arm is adapted to rotate about the axis of said upwardly extending tubular member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,126,672 1/1915 Dormandy 240-81 X 2,083,054 6/1937 Cline 285-2 2,299,683 10/ 1942 Curtis 240-81 3,194,952 7/1965 Wells 240-84 X NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH F. PETERS, Assistant Examiner. 

